Morgan Royer has been named the ninth head coach of the Monmouth University Softball program, Director of Athletics Jennifer Sansevero announced Tuesday.
"I am thrilled to welcome Coach Royer and her family to the Monmouth community," Sansevero said. "Morgan has a passion for leading student-athletes and an expertise in the game. Her pedigree of both playing and coaching experiences have given her the foundation to continue to build the softball program at Monmouth."
Royer arrives at Monmouth after previously serving as an assistant coach at UMass from 2022-24 under head coach Danielle Henderson, where she helped lead the Minutewomen to 55 total wins and an appearance in the 2024 Atlantic 10 Tournament semifinals. Along with coaching, Royer played a key role in the recruiting, planning, and program management processes that contributed to UMass' first 20-win season since 2019.
"I am extremely honored and grateful to be named the next head coach of the Monmouth softball program," Royer said. "I want to thank Jen Sansevero, Christina Diaz and the entire search committee for their immense time and effort through this process. I am so excited to hit the ground running at Monmouth with a group ready to work hard to win a championship."
Royer spent five seasons at Marist before making the transition to UMass. With the Red Foxes, she coached two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Defensive Player of the Year and two MAAC Rookie of the Year honorees, as well as multiple all-conference and four NFCA First-Team All-Region selections. Marist won 37 games during her first season on the coaching staff in 2017 – marking the second-most wins in a single season in program history. The Red Foxes nearly matched that total with 35 wins in 2019, capturing the MAAC regular season title while making an appearance in the conference's championship game. Royer also served as an assistant coach on Penn's softball coaching staff, amassing a 45-41 record across two seasons and an Ivy League Championship Series appearance in 2015.
"I believe in a program of transparency, integrity and passion that empowers players to become strong women not just on the softball field but for their future lives," Royer stated. "Coming home to Jersey has always been a dream of mine and being able to raise my son here around our friends and family is even more special. I can't wait to start building this program."
A standout infielder and catcher at Saint Joseph's from 2010-14, she was awarded the Dorie Leahy Award in 2014, an honor given to a student-athlete for showing elite dedication and loyalty to their team. Prior to her time as a Hawk, Royer was a four-time All-Cape Atlantic League National Conference selection at St. Joseph Academy in Hammonton, N.J. Royer was a recipient of the CALNC Joe Clements Award for Outstanding Female Athlete to go along with two First Team All-South Jersey selections.
The Folsom, N.J. native graduated from Saint Joseph's in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and completed a master's degree in integrated marketing and communication at Marist in 2020.
